For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.

Making headlines: Gumede and Mabuyakhulu must step aside from ANC and State structures, Some Home Affairs services reopen and more than 840 000 cross border since March and, West African leaders to push Mali junta to hand over power within a year

Gumede and Mabuyakhulu must step aside from ANC and State structures

Controversial corruption-accused former eThekwini mayor, Zandile Gumede, must step aside from the ANC and State structures, the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal said today. 

The party said its provincial deputy chairperson, Mike Mabuyakhulu – who is also facing charges of corruption – must also step aside. 

The announcement was made by ANC KZN secretary, Mdumiseni Ntuli, at a press briefing on Friday. He was joined by ANC KZN chairperson, Sihle Zikalala, who is also the premier of the province. 

The decision comes as the governing party enters a national executive committee meeting that runs until Sunday.

Some Home Affairs services reopen and more than 840 000 cross border since March

Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has announced the resumption of certain services during Level 2 of the lockdown, as well as the extension of the expiry date for certain temporary IDs.

He also said that while South Africa's borders had been closed since the lockdown came into effect, over 839 000 people who were exempt from the closures, had been allowed to cross the border.

According to Motsoaledi, between 27 March and 26 August, a total of 839 004 people were assisted by immigration officials to cross the border under permissible conditions.

West African leaders to push Mali junta to hand over power within a year

West African leaders seeking a return to democracy in Mali will on Friday demand that the military junta that ousted the President in a coup last week appoint a civilian head of government to oversee a transition lasting no more than a year.

The junta has said the political transition will last at least two years, but the leaders of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States will tell the officers that engineered the August 18 coup to cut that period in half.

The report, not published by ECOWAS but posted on several websites, also requires that civilians fill the posts of both President and Prime Minister.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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